Italic languages facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Italic |
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Ethnicity: | Originally the Italic peoples |
Geographic distribution: |
Originally the Italian peninsula, parts of today's Austria and Switzerland, today southern Europe, Latin America, Canada, and the official languages of half the countries of Africa. |
Linguistic classification: | Indo-European
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Proto-language: | Proto-Italic |
Subdivisions: |
Latino-Faliscan (including Romance)
Osco-Umbrian (Sabellic)
Venetic?
Lusitanian?
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ISO 639-5: | itc |
The Italic languages are a group of languages that belong to the larger Indo-European language family. They were first spoken in Italy a very long time ago. The most famous Italic language is Latin. Latin was the language of the Roman Empire.
As the Roman Empire grew, Latin spread across much of Western Europe. Over many centuries, Latin changed in different places. These changes led to the Romance languages we know today.
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What are Italic Languages?
The Italic languages are a branch of the huge Indo-European language family. This family includes many languages spoken across Europe and parts of Asia. Think of it like a big tree, and Italic languages are one of its main branches.
These languages first appeared in the Italian peninsula. This is the land where modern-day Italy is located.
Latin and its Legacy
The most important Italic language was Latin. It was spoken by the ancient Romans. As the Roman Empire expanded, Latin became the language of government, trade, and everyday life in many areas.
After the Roman Empire fell, Latin continued to change and develop. In different regions, Latin evolved into new languages. These new languages are called the Romance languages.
Modern Romance Languages
Today, many people around the world speak Romance languages. The main ones include:
These languages are spoken in many countries. You can find them in southern Europe, Latin America, and parts of Canada. They are also official languages in many countries in Africa.
Other Italic Languages
Besides Latin, there were other Italic languages. These languages were spoken by different groups of people in ancient Italy. Examples include Osco-Umbrian languages.
However, these other Italic languages did not survive. They eventually died out as Latin became more dominant. Today, only the languages that came from Latin are still spoken.
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See also
In Spanish: Lenguas itálicas para niños